ER-, PR-, Her2+ Roll call
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Good to hear from all of u! I'm so glad to hear that despite the scares you all are taking it one day at a time! Yes I've had my own scares - in the end I pulled pectoralis muscle over my implant! So annoying - was told it will take a long time to heal bc the muscle is stretched really thin over the implant..ugh!
For u ladies with the hair issues, would a little testosterone help? I know perimenopausal women take that along w estrogen/progesterone for symptoms like hair loss, low libido etc?
I heard a great news story on national public radio about how Hormone replacement therapy is safe in women including breast cancer survivors!
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Hi ladies and Happy New Year to those in the states! I miss all of you! I'm hoping the quietness is all is well! I'm hanging in there. Still going to therapy for fibrosis and mild lymphedema. I would love a hair update from @catarina_fm though! I'm still struggling with mine. I've lost a lot that originally came back in. Scalp showing! I've tried castor oil, collagen and biotin…. I'm ready to start topical minoxidil. A little nervous. I kept hoping my hair would eventually take off again as I still seem to grow new eyebrows and eyelashes. Eyelashes are finally coming in pretty good! I know hair is minor, and I am so thankful to have finished all treatments. But that is my one selfish gripe about having cancer.
@snm I just re-read your last post about hormone therapy. I have a co-worker who has gone through ILC, HR+ HER2-. She is finishing up her radiation in the next couple of weeks. She is being told she will need hormone suppressants (she is pre-menopause) and will take a chemo pill for three years or so. She did 4 TC chemo's after her DMX and node removal. I know she is a little anxious about it and I remember reading on here of stories on the treatment for suppression and replacement.
I'd love to hear from each of you and see how things are going!! And maybe we can swap some helpful tips! Lots of hugs to you all!!
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Hello girls! I hope everything is well. Wishing you a good year, full of health.
@grammie2 so good to hear from you! As for me, I’m doing okay, back at work at 100%, back to sport almost like before, although my arm sometimes gives me signs. I have joint pain and hot flashes due to induced menopause, which I don’t know if it will still reverse, but I’m starting to think it won’t. That puts me at high risk of osteoporosis, because I entered menopause so young. I’ve also read that hormone replacement therapy helps and is safe, but my oncologist doesn’t want me to take it. 😒 So I’ll have to put up with it or look for another opinion. But I think I’ve already got used to these after-effects and I manage to live my day-to-day life normally.
What’s worse is the physical appearance, because I still don’t recognize myself in the mirror. As for my hair, I think it has improved and it’s much better than I initially expected, but it still has some gaps, especially at the back of the head on top, the vertex. It’s growing very slowly compared to other people who finished chemo at the same time as me, or even later. The top of my head has much shorter and less dense hair than the bottom and the sides. A girl I met on the day I had surgery, who finished chemo on the same day as me, already has super long hair, almost touching her shoulders! More than 20 cm of hair! I have about 5 cm on top and 10 cm on the sides and at the back underneath 🥺
But anyway, I no longer wear a wig, I use some headbands to feel more feminine and I try not to think too much about the scalp that can be seen on the top of my head.@grammie2 I think you should use minoxidil because it will definitely have at least some effect. It seems worse than it is, it’s a foam that you put on your hair, just another routine, nothing special. I was also super apprehensive and now I think it really isn’t worth worrying so much. The worst that can happen is that you stop taking it one day and you go back to how you are now. You won’t get worse. I’m tolerating it quite well and I also take the oral version, and I notice that it has made quite a difference.
Don’t feel bad, of course health comes first, but hair is important! I feel the same as you. My eyebrows are still weak and my eyelashes too. I have them, but I naturally had very long eyelashes and now they’re very weak. I hope it still improves! And you all, how are you doing?I hope everything is going well and that you’re coping well with this “new life.” Hugs to all of you! 🌷🌻🏵️🌼🌹0 -
Oh so good to hear from you! And you were always such a positive person! I'm glad things are improving and there is hope for even more! I bought some 5% minoxidil foam off of Amazon a while back. I just put it in a drawer and hoped I wouldn't need it. But I do think I need it now. I find it odd that even the hair on my arms are still kind of a peach fuzz. My legs finally took off LOL. Still soft and not stubby no matter how long they get haha. I'm going to start back taking the collagen and biotin gummies. They helped my nails a lot as they were really thin and seemed to peal easily. I started using Colorstreet nail strips which have helped protect them somewhat. So very good to hear from you and hope the other gals catch up soon!!! Thank you!!!
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@grammie2 and @catarina_fm Hello my beautiful friends! Your glow looks great on you today with or without hair! Sometimes a little affirmation goes a long way paired with a 🤗
I saw that hair toppers are really popular nowadays to help with top hairline and top of scalp where many women including those without chemo start to thin. The online photos of them look amazing but I don't know how comfortable etc.
HRT is something I will seriously consider in near future for me. I'm already struggling with perimenopausal symptoms like urinary incontinence and getting a cold every time I have a period, brain fog etc. I'm trying to wait till I'm 50. Right now using vaginal estrogen cream which seems to be helping the urinary stress incontinence but not perfect.
Good luck @catarina_fm- I expect you to have many more visits to the beach to soak up all that sunny vitamin D!
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Hello dear friends. I was just thinking about you all earlier this week. I am doing well, still dealing with some foot pains but I have started a workout group and some of my lingering issues are clearing up as a result. I also stopped eating sweets, as I had become a real sweet eater post treatment and its helping a lot.
I am one of those unfortunate ones who have gained quite a bit of weight during treatment and beyond and I am actively working on that by eating fewer carbohydrates and more fruits, veggies and proteins.
I have a new oncologist as mine retired in November (but my nurse practitioner is the same). I wanted to try a GLP1 but he is not in favor, so I will do this the old fashioned way….
I have a mammogram this month which as you all know is stressful but I know with God it will all be FINE.
Hugs to all of you, so happy to see the conversation starter. OH, I bought a book called “Paving - your path through breast cancer and beyond” by a breast cancer doc named Amy Comander. Check it out, if you are so inclined.
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Hey @snm and @djschmidt1 good to hear from you both! Prayers for your upcoming mammo and yes, God is good! I had my second one post treatment in December. It's hard not to feel a little stressed for sure. I will check out that book! I haven't settled into the new me yet. I sometimes feel disconnected from life. And I too have gained some post treatment. Hubby and I both plan to start eating healthier after the superbowl LOL. Our goal is to eat less processed and less carbs.
Thanks for the suggestion on toppers. My co worker has a friend that wears those. I will see what I think. I still get emails from where I bought a couple of wigs from and I think they carry them. I still have my wigs but can't make myself put one on.
Hoping to keep hearing from all of you!!!
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@djschmidt1 good to hear from u! Yes to exercise! I will think about u tomorrow morning as I try to will myself to leave my bed and hit my morning workout! I've had a few days off and need to get back to exercise. It's a climb that we all must make but at least we can go at our own speed! Every step forward is in the right direction. Why no to GLP1? Was the breast cancer related?
@grammie2 Maybe you can trade out your wig for a fun wig only to be seen by your hubby! 😉
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@snm My oncologist said he doesn’t recommend GLP1s because there isn’t enough long term data about them AND he said he is starting to see patients that have been on them. My oncologist that retired said the same thing…so I am trying to do this without meds.
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